


This Time Around

by 27dragons



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, It's surprising how much they have in common when you start poking at it, Prompt Fill, STEVE IS IRON MAN, Tony is Captain America
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-09
Updated: 2014-07-09
Packaged: 2018-02-08 04:34:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1926774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/27dragons/pseuds/27dragons
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Filling a prompt from <a href="http://murmuredlullabye.tumblr.com/">murmuredlullabye</a>: <em>Imagine: a role-reversal AU where Tony Stark ended up as Captain America, Rhodey became the Winter Soldier, and Bucky Barnes is Steve Rogers/Iron Man's best friend/ex-military bodyguard/PA. *laughs*</em></p>
<p>"Tone, is this revenge for that time we went to Coney Island and I dared you to ride the Cyclone three times in a row?"<br/>"Damn straight it is."<br/>"Because you already threw up on me for that, and--"<br/>"Shut up and jump, Rhodey."</p>
            </blockquote>





	This Time Around

**_The First Avenger_ **

"No, _no_ , absolutely not!"

"Howard, he is of age, you cannot--"

"The hell I can't, Erskine! Get the hell out of my way! What do you think you're playing at, boy?"

"I'm not playing, Dad. I enlisted _weeks_ ago, which you'd know if you ever bothered to come home. I'm not smart like you, but I'm no coward. I'm not going to just sit at home and twiddle my thumbs because you managed to buy me out of the draft!"

"Anthony, I have _had it_ with your goddamn games. I've overlooked your questionable taste in women--"

"Because Pepper doesn't take any of your condescending bullshit--"

"--and your even more questionable taste in friends--"

" _Christ_ , Dad, just because Rhodey is colored--"

"--but I am _not going to stand for this_! If you go through with this, then you are _out_ , do you understand me? I _will_ disown you!"

Years later and far too late, Tony would look back on this moment and recognize the look in Howard's eyes as fear, not disgust. But at this time, in this moment, after so many years of personalities far too similar to allow them to cohabitate peacefully, all Tony knew was that his father was challenging him, pushing him, drawing yet another goddamn line in the sand. And when Howard drew a line in the sand...

…Tony stepped over it.

***

"Anthony? Anthony, it's done, come on. Are you able to stand? Do you feel any different?"

"I thought I'd be taller."

Erskine smiled, but before he could reply, his kind eyes went blank and Tony realized the sound he was hearing was the echo of a gun.

***

"Pep. Pep, _please_ , you have to help me."

"Tony, no. It's thirty miles behind the line, you'll _die_. I won't help you kill yourself!"

"Pep, they've got _Rhodey_ in there, and you're all I've got. I'm... I'm going anyway. Even if you won't help me. Pepper, listen, the serum should have killed me, you _know_ that. I shouldn't be alive, unless it was for a reason."

"...All right, Tony. But you'd better come back. You're all I have, too, you know."

***

"--ames Rhodes, 32556... 5..."

"Oh my God. Rhodey. Rhodey, come on, it's me! It's Tony."

"Tony?"

"Yeah, buttercup, it's me. Come on, let's get you out of here."

***

"Tone, is this revenge for that time we went to Coney Island and I dared you to ride the Cyclone three times in a row?"

"Damn straight it is."

"Because you already threw up on me for that, and--"

"Shut up and jump, Rhodey."

***

"...cold has completely gummed up the navigation system. All I can control is the altitude, and that's gonna go next. I've got to bring this thing down now."

"Tony, no. You can't. You'll crash!"

"Don't see any other options, Pep. You tell 'em for me, okay, you tell 'em to work on that icing problem."

"You'll tell 'em yourself, Tony. Don't... We'll find another way, just hang in there a little longer."

"No other choice, now. Don't worry, honey, I'll be back before you know it. We'll go out for martinis, maybe finish that dance."

~~#~~#~~

**_Iron Man_ **

Dad died when Steve was seventeen. It was a car accident. He'd been talking on the car phone to Obie at the time, just like he always did. Obie said he'd been in the middle of ranting about some government regulation and just stopped and said something about the roads, and then nothing but squealing tires and grinding metal. By the time the police arrived, it was all over.

Dad had been pretty old -- he hadn't adopted Steve until he was in his late sixties -- and it had been clear from the start that he'd wanted a genius heir more than he'd wanted a son. Still, whatever his motives, Howard had given Steve a home, medical care that cured or controlled Steve's multitude of ailments, and the best education money could buy.

Steve felt, guiltily, that he should've been able to mourn a little harder.

A week later, helping Obie clean out Dad's office, Steve found the old photo album stuck in the back of the desk.

Obie explained it all -- the bastard who'd been left on sixteen-year-old Howard's doorstep, a boy who, despite the stigma and hardship, despite the boy's antagonistic personality, had been the light of Howard's young life. The kid -- Anthony -- had run away to join the Army during the war and then never come home again.

It was a tragic tale that Steve thought explained a lot about Howard. The next day, when Steve was looking through the album, thinking sadly what a lovely young man Anthony might have been if he'd lived -- he looked almost just like the Captain America of Steve's favorite boyhood comics and movies, sloe-eyed and smirking confidently -- a folded packet of legal papers fell out of their hiding place in the album's binding.

That's when Steve learned that Obie had sugar-coated the story for him. That Howard had disowned the boy after he'd enlisted in the only organization that even Howard couldn't buy off, the SSR. And that only after Captain America had become a hit sensation had Howard tried -- unsuccessfully -- to claim him again.

Howard Stark had been the worst kind of bully. To his _own son_.

After that, Steve stopped trying to mourn. He waited one year, out of respect for the man who had adopted him (and to reach his legal majority), and then he changed his surname from Stark back to Rogers.

And he started listening for the note of untruth in the things Obadiah Stane told him.

***

The day that Steve turned twenty-five and the reins of Stark Industries were legally his, he set in motion two things that he'd been planning for several years.

First, he spun off a research team to explore the Arctic. Anthony Stark might have refused his father's attempts to bring him back into the family with good reason, but that was no reason to leave Captain America's body in an icy grave hundreds of miles from American soil.

Second, he hired his childhood best friend, Bucky Barnes, as his PA-cum-bodyguard, roundly ignoring Obie's advice on the matter. Bucky had joined the Army when he'd gotten too old for the orphanage and served two tours before losing an arm and being mustered out. They'd written and called faithfully over the years, but they hadn't stood face-to-face until the day Bucky swaggered down the ramp of the private jet Steve had sent to pick him up. The years disappeared in an instant, and the moment that Bucky pulled Steve in for a hug was the happiest Steve had been in more than fifteen years.

***

"It's an electromagnet," said a man's voice. "Your heart stopped. This keeps it going."

The heart problem. Because it wasn't bad enough that he'd been violently and horribly kidnapped in the middle of a routine sales pitch and demo. Of _course_ all his meds had been destroyed when the vehicle with his luggage had been blown up. Christ, Bucky had been in the next Jeep, what if Bucky was--

_Get a grip on it, Rogers, this is_ not _the time._

And now, apparently, he had an electromagnet buried in his chest like some kind of primitive pacemaker.

"What do they want with me?"

The man who had saved his life stepped into the light, and Steve dimly recognized him from some conference or other, years before. "What would anyone want with the genius behind Stark Industries' success? They want weapons."

His kidnappers were terrorist and common bullies, then. Steve ignored the pain in his chest and sat up. He knew exactly how to deal with bullies. "Well, then. Let's make some weapons."

~~#~~#~~

**_Iron Man 2_ **

"Mr. Rogers?" Natalie was looking concerned.

Steve wasn't sure when "Natalie from Legal" had become Peggy's right-hand-woman the way Peggy had become Steve's, but he couldn't argue the choice; Natalie was supremely competent. And Steve thought Bucky was developing just a bit of a crush on her, which he should probably encourage. Then Peg and Buck would both be in good hands when... _No, stop it, there's still time_. "It's fine, Natalie, I'm fine. Hammer just really annoys the crap out of me. Is this our table?"

Natalie glanced at the clipboard she was holding. "I believe so, Mr. Rogers."

"Great, thanks." Steve smiled and dropped into a chair facing the track. It looked like the race was just getting underway. "Where'd Peggy go? She promised this part of the trip would be a vacation, not just business-- Oh, there she is, can you please go get her? I'll order drinks for us all and--" Steve broke off, staring in shock at the man striding out onto the racetrack, carrying… were those _whips_? "What is that guy-- _What the hell?!_ "

Steve snatched his suitcase from Natalie's hand, no time to be polite. He needed a suit _now_. "Bucky," he said as he twisted the activator, "grab Peggy and Natalie and get them _out of here_."

Bucky looked like he might start getting stubborn. "Steve, that guy's vest, it looks like your arc--"

It sure as hell did, and there was no way Bucky could stand against anything powered by anything like Steve's arc reactor. "I can see that," Steve snapped. The helmet folded over his face and he bunched himself to jump through the window. "Stop arguing with me and _go_."

***

God, the reactor core was fried, and Steve could _feel_ the palladium searing into his veins. "Bucky. Buck. That case, there. Need a new core for the reactor."

Bucky, bless him, didn't even question it, just grabbed the case and opened it. His eyes bugged out when Steve opened his shirt to pop the reactor out. "Shit, Steve, what the hell is this high-tech crossword all over your skin?"

Steve shied away from the question. "It's nothing, really. Hey, I'm thinking of going ahead and promoting Peggy to CEO now. She's better at the business end of things than me, and then I'd have more time for making stuff. Equitable division of labor."

"Steve."

"It's _nothing_ , Bucky, stop worrying." No, no, he couldn't tell Bucky he was dying, not now. Not when there was still _some_ hope left. Steve scrambled for a distraction. "C'mere, check out these schematics. Gonna build you a prosthetic arm."

"You're trying to distract me, Steve, and it won't work. I've already _got_ a prosth-- Wait, is this thing _functional_?"

***

God, Peggy was beautiful. That's what he meant to say, to tell her that she was beautiful. Instead, what came out of his mouth was, "What would you do if you knew this would be your last birthday?"

Peggy's eyes searched Steve's face for a long moment. "Whatever I wanted, I suppose."

Had he given it away? "Peg--"

"I've got to get out there. I'll send Natalie in with the watches." Peggy all but ran out of the room, but not before Steve had seen her lovely eyes glittering with tears.

Yeah. She knew.

***

Steve sat at the center of an atom, of his salvation, and the connections snapped together in his mind. "Always had to have the last word, didn't you, Howard?" He glanced over at the calculations JARVIS was displaying for him. "All right. Fine. Let's do this."

~~#~~#~~

**_The Avengers_ **

"Dr. Banner. Word is you can find the cube."

"Is that the only word on me?"

"Well, that, and the enormous green ragemonster thing."

***

"Captain."

"Mr. Rogers."

***

"Big man in a suit of armor. Take that away and what are you?"

"Not a bully like you, that's for certain. You're just like your father." Steve saw pain crack through Tony's arrogant expression the instant the words left his lips. In any other circumstance, he would have regretted his hot temper immediately. But it was hard to learn that your heroes were only human.

Tony recovered quickly, channeling the hurt into belligerence as he leaned into Steve's space. "Put on the suit."

***

"...and I know just where to put it."

"Rogers, you know that's a one-way trip."

No response came from the comm, and Tony could only watch as the Iron Man flashed past overhead, shouldering a deadly burden.

_Fuck_. It was like watching Rhodey fall all over again, but in reverse. He'd never be able to apologize, now, for the way he had let his own petty jealousy for his "replacement" start them off on the wrong foot.

Steve had never been anything but innately good and pure of heart, even if he was a stubborn little son of a bitch.

The aliens fell around them and Tony knew Steve had done it, but he wasn't sure how many more of them might be lurking beyond the portal. He had to be Captain America now, not Tony Stark. "Close it," he said around the lump in his throat, and if his eyes were still lingering hopefully on the hole in the sky, well, so were everyone else's.

~~#~~#~~

**_Iron Man 3_ **

"I'm a hot mess, Peggy. I admit it. The world just keeps getting more and more dangerous, and if anything happened to you, or to Bucky, I'd--"

"Steve. When was the last time you slept?"

"I don't--"

"Where's Bucky? He's supposed to make sure you sleep when I'm traveling."

"…"

"Steve. Where's Bucky?"

"I might have asked him to see if he could gather any intel on this Mandarin character."

" _Steve_. He's your _bodyguard_. How is he supposed to guard you if you keep sending him--"

"I'm _Iron Man_ , Peg, I can guard my own body!"

"Not while you're sleeping, you can't!"

"That's _why_ I'm not sleeping!"

"Are you even listening to yourself right now, Steve?"

"You know I'm not going to sit idly by while a terrorist is threatening--"

Peggy sighed, and took his hand. "I know, Steve. I know. Just… There's nothing you can do until he gets back, right? Please, let's just get some sleep."

***

"Steve, did you just give an international terrorist our _home address_?"

Steve set his jaw. "I am _not_ going to let the Mandarin _bully me_ into submission. Terror is just--"

"No one said you had to, but there's a reasonable--"

"Um, guys? I hate to intrude, but should we be worried about that?"

***

"Give me a suit, Steve, I can do it!"

"What?"

"Come on, Stevie, a suit!"

"They won't work for you, Buck. Don't worry, I gotcha covered."

"Don't be an asshole, Steve!"

"Get the President and _get_ _out of here_ , Buck. I'm right behind you, as soon as I find Peggy!"

~~#~~#~~

**_The Winter Soldier_ **

"I'm here to pick up a fossil."

"Why do I always get stuck with you, Barton? Nat wouldn't be such a wiseass."

"Shows what you know. Anyway, she likes Steve better. He doesn't stare at her chest when he thinks she's not watching."

"I don't-- Okay, you got me there."

***

"Kiss me."

" _What?_ "

"Just do it, Tony!"

"Hey, I'm flattered, Barton, but I don't put out until at least the third--"

"Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable. Now shut up and kiss me!"

***

"Where did Captain America learn to hotwire a car?"

"Dad wouldn't ever give me the keys to any of his cars. Turned out to be a handy skill in Nazi Germany, though."

"You're a terrible kisser, by the way. No wonder you never get any second dates."

"You're one to talk. Tell me that you and Nat have some kind of no-kissing pact, because otherwise I'm going to have to actually cry for her."

***

"Is that-- Is that an _Iron Man_ suit? How the hell did this guy get his hands on one of Steve's suits?!"

"Less talking, more running and shooting!"

***

"Who the hell is Rhodey?"

***

The faceplate that Tony had destroyed in their previous fight hadn't been replaced, so maybe they'd simply stolen the suit from Steve and couldn't repair it. That was good news, if it was true, that they couldn't replicate Steve's tech. The bad news was that now Tony had to actually watch Rhodey's face while they were fighting, and God, _God_ , if there was one person in this damn world that Tony did not want to fight _even a little bit_ , it was _Rhodey_.

The chip. Thousands -- _millions_ \-- were going to die if he didn't replace that chip, including most of the very few friends Tony had managed to make since they'd dug him out of the ice. Sam had asked what made him happy, and he hadn't been able to answer… but he was pretty sure the answer didn't involve losing everyone he loved _again_.

Not even if it meant having to fight Rhodey. "Come on, sugardrop," he shouted as they struggled. "Your name is James Rupert Rhodes and you're my _friend_."

Rhodey's eyes remained as dark and cold as a night in Siberia. "You're my mission."

***

"On your left."


End file.
